Stay With Me
by CherryBerryChili
Summary: Draco and Hermione are stuck in a mess; between Draco's dad and Hermione's duty to her friends, they just hope the other will hold on.
1. By The Lake

_Hey persons who have decided to read my fic and not skipped straight to it but began to read this part at the top which is only hear to say I don't own anything except the idea. Harry Potter belongs to Mizzz. Rowling. Anywayz, you've all probably zoned out of this by now…_

_**Ok, now STORY TIME:D:D:D:D**_

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Stay With Me**_

_Chapter 1_

Draco Malfoy gently drew his fingers through the girl's hair, and rested his hand at the back of her neck. She stared straight ahead at his chest, lost for words and unsure of what to say; his eyes searched her face for some sign of emotion. Slowly, he moved closer and breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of everything around them.

It was a warm summer's night by the lake. They were standing under a tree; its branches reached out and drooped around them, the tips of the leaves were dipped into the lake and swaying heavily in the light breeze. Fireflies buzzed around them, and rested in the tree, like a thousand candles floating around them. The scent of sweet flowers filled the air, the water rolled onto the sandy bank of the lake and slipped over their toes, then gently pulled out again. Above the two young adults, the moon was shimmering and filled the darkness like silver dust falling down and resting on every surface.

"Hermione, I'm just asking you to stay, I- " She silenced him by suddenly turning her head upwards to look into his eyes. He choked on his words, his throat was tightening, and he suddenly felt dizzy as she placed her hands on his forearms and reached up to gently kiss him on the cheek. His hands fell to the small of her back during the gesture, and when she tried to pull back he held here there, close to him.

"I don't want to be what I am. I don't want you to hate me, I wish you could make me into a new person, make me into whatever you want me to be, whatever you need…"

Hermione heaved a sigh filled with sadness. She knew he was a Malfoy, and also heir to everything that was Malfoy, including his father's place in the Dark Lord's inner circle. But it wasn't Draco's place.

"Please help me, just show me what to do."

It broke her heart to heart him whisper these words to her. He didn't need to change, he was perfect as he was. She forced her way out of his arms and pulled him down next to her onto the ground. She sat there, gazing out at the lake towards the forest. He wanted her help, he wanted to fix himself, but she seemed always deaf to the subject.

"Draco, please don't change. I want you as you are. Don't think you're not good enough, or not pure enough. It's all I need of you."

"If I don't change you will leave me-"

"I would only leave you to stop you from changing. I wouldn't want to remember you any other way than what you are to me right now."

Draco's eyes moved to the side of her head. He thought for a moment until he was released from his mind when she turned her head too. He saw pity in her gaze, pity for him. Or maybe she pitied them both, pitying the mess they had run themselves into. If he had not interfered with her like he had then her life would be easier. He hated himself for ruining her, but he still loved the ruined her than comforted him, and stayed with him these long nights when he was troubled about his father's business.

Something pulled on the edge on her lips, and soon a yawn broke out. He sniggered to himself in a lighter mood than before, and leant back against the tree trunk, pulling her into his arms. His head lay rested on top of hers, his arms held firmly around her body, his hand entwined in hers. She brought his hand to her mouth and lightly touched it with her lips, before placing it back into her lap and falling into a deep sleep, safe with him.

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_**Weeeeee, first chapter. If you want more you're gonna have to let me know or I'll lose inspiration. And if you do let me know, then you'll have to wait cuz I don't know what's coming next either:S See ya all later and don't forget to review of you have a few spare minutes. Thanks for your time:D and I hoped you enjoyed it. Laterz, muak.**_


	2. Running into Embarrassment

_Hehehe, I got 1 review so I'm continuing. And just to make the OC-ness less so, we're gonna take a little flashback and see how the first chapter happened, and so everything seems more plausible. So here we go._

_And special thanks to **catgurlfurreel** for the review, I read two of your fics and they were great, I can't wait to read more from them:D_

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__**_Stay With Me_**

_Chapter 2_

_FLASHBACK TO THE SUMMER BEFORE 7TH YEAR_

Hermione strolled down the streets of Diagon Alley with a, ice cream in hand from Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour. As she passed Flourish and Blotts she hummed in interest at the shop's newest additions to the large collection of books. Throwing the remaining ice-cream cone into the rubbish bin nearby, she strode into the crumbling building, careful not to knock over any of the towers of books which filled most of the floor.

She went straight to the back of the shop and soon lost herself in some book entitled "Ancient Potions And Charms" by an old philosopher from Athens. Having read through the introduction and table of contents she closed the leather bound book with a sharp snap which sent dust flying around her head.

Her hand jerked towards her mouth, covering it as she coughed. She turned to leave the cloud of thick air, her eyes squinting, when she walked straight into what she thought to be a bookcase. Her hands came in front of her feeling for the passage between the bookstands, but instead she felt a light, expensive cloth covering something. The obstacle in front of her gave a grunt of annoyance and growing impatience which shocked Hermione, her eyes fluttering open, wide in surprise at the young man under her palms.

She looked into his eyes, expecting to see them glaring at her in disgust. But instead, the man's eyes followed the last falling dust particles rest on his shoulder. He lifted a hand with a grimace on his face and lightly swept away the residue off his cloak. Hermione's eyes darted from side to side, unsure of what to do. The man hadn't made any sign of her presence yet, however he suddenly cleared his throat loudly, snapping Hermione from her thoughts. His eyes were now on her hands which still lay on his chest, but she still stayed frozen.

The man raised his eyebrows, nodding slightly, and then he inhaled deeply, moving his chest as if he were trying to blow her hands away from him, but she still remained motionless. Her mind, in fact, had gone blank.

"Are you planning to remove yourself from me anytime soon?" He snapped angrily as he stepped away from her, straightening his back and looking down on her.

Hermione, quickly brought her hands to the side, looking anywhere but his eyes. He hadn't made any move to leave yet. A silence fell between them, and Hermione's eyes fell on the book she had picked up, which now lay open on the floor, the pages bent. She quickly dropped to her knees and picked it up before standing again, hoping to leave as soon as possible. The man watched her scramble, straightening the pages of her book between her shaking palms before she took off without a word, her head tilted down and her cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment. His head turned to follow her out of the shop.

Rolling his eyes at the clumsiness of the foolish girl, he continued down the isle to find a book on ancient potions and charms, the same one in fact Hermione had chosen for her own personal reading interests.

Hermione rushed to the front desk and paid for the thick book which she held under her elbow and she fumbled through her purse. She quickly found the coins she needed, and handed them to the shopkeeper while threading her hands through her hair to pull in out of the way. She took her book in hand and turned to leave before she nearly ran into the man for a second time.

Before she could fall into him, she stopped herself with a jolt, her hand still in her hair. Her fingers tugged down, but became tangled among the thick, bushy curls. She pulled them again, but only tightened the knot around her fingers. Swallowing hard, she pushed her way past the man and made her way out of the shop as quickly as possible.

As she left she heard the shopkeeper place the young man's coins into the cash register before saying, "Will that be all Mister Malfoy?" His reply was drowned as she stepped back into the bustle of Diagon Alley, the bell above the bookstores entrance jingling as she left the door to fall back in place. Hurriedly, she made her way back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with Harry and the Weasleys for lunch.

As she walked she replayed her encounter with the young Malfoy in her mind, scolding herself for acting so silly in front of him. For a second she looked back through the large crowd in the streets towards Flourish and Blotts and saw him exit the shop. She silently admired him for everything he showed; strong, powerful, and intelligent, but the scowl etched on his face crumbled any positive feelings towards him. She sighed at the shame of a loss of such a bright mind wasted in hate before she looked straight on, turning away from him.

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_Weehee, chapter 2 up. I'm not sure about this chapter, nothing much happens… I'm not prepared to change it cause I'm lazy and I just want to get on with the story, but if it's too slow then tell me and I'll keep that in mind for the rest of it. Buhbye for now ;)_


	3. Hermione's Kind Gesture

_Weeeeeeeeell, I got bored so I am going to write another chapter reviews or not, but I hope ya'll are enjoying it so far. If not… I don't care! Hahahaha! But I'd probably stop writing it and start another, hopefully better than this. Aaaaaanyway, onwards!_

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_**Stay With Me**_

_Chapter 3_

_(We are still in flashback by the way, but the school year has started now.)_

Hermione awoke to the sound of thunder and rain. The previous week's weather had dulled that Saturday morning, darkening the hallways of Hogwarts.

Pulling the covers down, she stepped onto the stone floor next to her bed and walked over to the doors on the balcony. For a moment she watched the rain drum down, running down the faces of gargoyles which hung over the castle's roof, and forming puddles all over the grounds. In the distance she could see the lake, her view slightly clouded by the thickness of the rain.

She breathed in heavily, indulging in the smell of fresh rain and mist before she closed the double-doors to stop the cold from coming in. Her room fell silent without with sound of the rain falling on the balcony tiles, so she walked into the bathroom to have a shower before she went down to breakfast.

That gloomy Saturday was a Hogsmeade weekend, allowing the students in their third year at Hogwarts and up to escape the castle for the day to enjoy the pleasures of the small town just outside the school's grounds.

That weekend, Hermione left Hogwarts early in order to buy a few ingredients for a concoction she had read about in her book about ancient potions and charms before she would meet up with Harry and Ron for some Butterbeer.

She stepped out of Hogwarts' main door and pulled her cloak over her head, gathering it close to her mouth to shield as much of her face as she could from the bitter wind that whipped the fabric of the cloak around her ankles. She took her first step towards the town and immediately trod in the wet mud, covering her shoes in a dull brown colour.

She hurried along the path, to reach the first carriages that carried students to Hogsmeade. Under her cloak she tightly grasped her book that listed the needed ingredients. She climbed into the nearest carriage, sat down, and pulled the door closed. That is until she hit slammed the carriage's door into someone who tried to jump into the carriage at the last minute.

Hermione let go of the door's handle, bringing her hands to cover her mouth as she took in a sharp gasp of air. The door rebounded of the body of the person, who then fell to the ground in shock. For a second, neither of them moved. When the surprise had worn off, Hermione flew out of her seat and stuck her head out into the rain to look at the person of the muddy ground.

She found herself looking down into the eyes of Draco Malfoy, who was blinking away his own surprise. Without thinking, Hermione grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him to his feet, and dragged him into the carriage, closing the door behind them. He made no gesture, his eyes were glazed over, and his mouth hung open slightly. He then fell back with a thump into the seat opposite Hermione, hitting his head on carriage-wall.

Hermione placed each hand beside her, and she leant over gasping for air, her heart pounding, and water dripping from her brow onto the floor. She raised her head slightly to look at Malfoy sitting motionless, still overcome by the shock of being thrown onto the floor. She noticed he clutched a book in his hand, the same book she had that now lay forgotten next to her.

Malfoy suddenly shifted his legs, crossing his ankles and pushing them under the seat. His hands steadied himself either side of his soaking body, his elbows shaking. He then remembered the book in his hand and brought it in front of his face. The cover was stained with mud, and the pages had stuck together in with the dirty water. He tried separating the pages, but they broke apart in his hands. His arms had stopped shaking by now, and he let out a heavy sigh.

Hermione folded her arms around herself, bracing herself for Malfoy's anger. However, he just slammed the book down on the seat next to him and leaned back. His eyes then fell upon the girl in front of him. He had not taken in that someone had pulled him inside after the door came thrashing down on him. He looked closer and noticed who it was, Granger.

With a slight huff he rolled his eyes and looked out the window. Hermione looked around the carriage; her eyes met her book next to her. She picked it up carefully. The pages had never quite straightened after she dropped it the day she bumped into Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts. As much as she wanted to hold onto her book, she reached it out to Malfoy.

He sat with his arms crossed, transfixed on the rain, when he saw her lean over book in hand. He turned his eyes to what she had in hand, and turned the rest of his head when he realised what it was. It was the last thing he expected of her to give him, he who has never shown any kindness for her, and suddenly she was giving up something as important to her as her own book.

Malfoy hesitated. He was not sure whether it would be right of a Malfoy to accept the second hand property of a muggleborns. But for just that time he decided to ignore his father's words of the "proper education", and out of curiosity he took the book from her hand. She looked on sadly as her leafed through it as if he were expecting it to be cursed.

"Sorry about the door… I didn't see-"

The carriage lurched and stopped moving; they had arrived. Malfoy immediately stood up, the book now closed and under his arm; he strode out of the door and headed towards the Three Broomsticks. Hermione watched as he disappeared in the steam and mist of the rain. She too then exited the carriage, tightening her cloak around her, and rushed off to a bookstore on the corner of the street.

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_This chapter is longer than others but there is a little action here with Draco and Hermione… well you know you gotta warm the over before you stick in the turkey. Anywayz, I'm planning fore more action in the next chapter which I will get to this night. Don't forget to review if you have some spare time! Laterz._


	4. Butterbeer and Bookmarks

_I'm really getting into writing this... I'm still not sure where it's going, maybe it shall grow into an epic:D Anywayz, I'm still waiting for a few more reviews hint hint but if you're all too busy that's okay… or maybe no one is even reading… hmmmm… I'm just gonna keep going for now…  
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_**Stay With Me**_

_Chapter 4_

_(We are still in flashback; we are still in Hogsmeade too)_

Hermione entered the old bookstore. A smell of staleness filled the air of the stuffy little shop, and all the books had an aged brown appearance. Hermione walked cautiously through the isles. Something about the shop sent her nerves abuzz. She had never been inside here before, but seeing as she now had no potion to prepare, it was the first thing she thought of to pass the time.

Looking at a few of the titles on the books made her even more restless; most were about dark curses and deadly potions. She came to stand which had the words 'History Writings' painted above the top shelf. She began to read through the spines of the books, eagerly searching for the one she had just given away. She lowered her finger that was running along each book as she searched once she had come to the end of the shelf. Nothing.

Hermione looked at her surroundings again. She noticed that there was a staircase leading to another floor. The grabbed the dusty railing and climbed the steep stairs hat spiralled around until the top. Above, there was even more bookcases, all filled to burst. However, there was a space cleared for a couple of sofas and a table. Streams of grey light filtered through the dirt-covered window and lit up the furniture.

Turning away from the scene, Hermione walked over to look at the books. She read through the sections and stopped when one had caught her attention: 'Novels'. Surprised, Hermione looked at the titles of the books on the single shelf, and picked out a book with a deep navy blue coloured cover. She was even more surprised to see it was a play written by a muggle author, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' by Roald Dahl. Hermione smiled to herself. It seemed absurd to find such a light-hearted book amongst all the black magic books.

Deciding against settling on one of the sofas, Hermione went downstairs and paid the well-aged owner of the shop, who in return gave her a smile that seemed warming to her. She walked out of the shop and made her way down the road to the Three Broomsticks.

More students had filled the streets on Hogsmeade; all bundles up in their Hogwarts cloaks trying to keep dry from the rain. Many had taken refuge in the town's famous bar from the bad weather.

Hermione entered the cosy tavern and scanned the room for anyone she knew. Harry and Ron were seated at a table towards the back, and once they had seen her, they signalled for her to come over. Smiling, Hermione moved through the crowd and sat down with a heave after finally reaching the table. Ron waved for Madam Rosmerta to come over, and he ordered another Butterbeer for Hermione, which was conjured up soon later, steaming and releasing a rich sweet scent into the air.

Meanwhile, across the room Malfoy watched the three friends laugh amongst themselves, his eyes particularly fixed on Hermione. In his hands he held her book open at a potion for curing the plague. Sighing, he brought his eyes back to the book and turned the page to the next potion when a bookmark fell out. He picked it up, already knowing to whom it belonged. He flipped it over and studied the writing printed on the back: 'The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more you grow. The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice, when speaking your mind or making your choice'.

Malfoy chuckled to himself; what else could you expect from a studious person such as her? He looked down at the page to see what she had been reading about. Interestingly, he found that she had underlined parts of the method such as "carefully stir in the beetle shells" or "stir only three times in a clockwise direction". Malfoy understood she had intended to make this potion. He looked at the title, "Cure for Clumsiness Potion". Malfoy chuckled lightly to himself again before he read on.

"…the 'Cure for Clumsiness' potion was invented by an old wizard who lived in the Emperor's palace during the reign of Augustus. He was ordered by the Emperor's wife to find a cure for her grandson, Claudius, who suffered from abnormalities at birth. Later, the Emperor Caligula gave orders for the potion to be issued to every man learned in medicine and under Hippocrates' Oath…"

Malfoy felt a little sorry for the girl, she did have tendencies to end up in bad situations, especially in front of him. But the thought passed his mind; he was used to disregarding muggleborns from his father's teachings. He scanned the potion as he had done with the ones before, and turned the page, although his mind then did wonder back to Hermione.

Malfoy took a sip from his mug of butterbeer and picked the bookmark again. He played with it between his fingers, thinking about the muggleborns offering. No one had ever given up something of their's for him in the same way, and he least expected an act of suck kindness from someone who he had never shown any care for. His father constantly warned him of everything bad you could find in a muggle, but never of anything good in them. Draco naturally assumed there was nothing but thoughtful things such as what she had done proved his father's theory wrong.

Draco stood up, having finished his drink, and walked over to the table of three where Harry, Ron and Hermione were talking intently about the next quidditch match; or rather Ron and Harry were while Hermione listened. He nearly reached the table when he asked himself what he was doing.

'She is just a muggleborns, and even if she were a real witch, she's a Gryffindor…'

Draco turned to leave the bar, but then he hesitated. He was only a couple of feet away from the table the trio sat at; they had probably seen him already. He turned around again; they still hadn't noticed him. Draco didn't move anywhere for a moment, his thought were muddled between his father's words that had been carved into his head and his own initiative. He looked down at the bookmark in his hand, re-reading what was written on it, "speaking your mind or making your choice".

Draco had never really been given a choice. It was always what his father wanted, always what his father said. It left Draco cold; most people avoided him except those who he stayed close to as a personal shield or bodyguards. But honestly, it was hard to hold a decent conversation with any of those people; none of them had the mind which could match Draco's.

He sighed. It was either his choice or his father's now, and for once, he decided to do his own thing. He walked up to the table and stopped. The three friends looked up; Harry and Ron scowling, Hermione with a look of surprise.

Draco placed the bookmark on the table and pushed it towards her. Hermione looked down at it remembering the page she had placed it in and blushed. She kept her head down expecting a cruel comment from Malfoy but he simply drew himself back from the table and before he turned away he said quietly,

"Thanks."

Hermione raised her head at the words, puzzled at his peace of mind. He hadn't seized the opportunity to poke fun at her, when usually he would have been dying to bring her down. Harry and Ron looked equally puzzled for a moment, but passed it off as some trick of his. Hermione simply told them what had happened on the carriage to which they laughed when she mentioned when she had slammed the door into him. Hermione felt ashamed at her friends' arrogance for laughing, but after all, he was a Malfoy. Surely he had done enough to deserve it? But something in the back of her mind told her no; he had shown an act of kindness back. 'Doesn't that mean there is some warmth to him that the cold smirk he wears?"

Hermione no longer took any interest in the boys' conversation. She opened her recently purchased book and began reading.

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_Hey! Another chapter. And a little more action, we can now assume things are going to soon turn fluffier than lint. I hope you enjoyed the little DM/HG parts, I'll get writing a fifth chapter now… See you in a couple of minutes them, ciao :D_


	5. A Little Goes A Long Way

_Wow, I've written four chapters today. Hopefully some more review will come through… hopefully. Well I'm just going to get on with it now so as Mario would say, 'Here we goooooooooo!'………_

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**_Stay With Me_**

**__**_Chapter 5_

_(Flashback still)_

Hermione spent the rest of the day reading her muggle-written book. She, Harry and Ron had returned from Hogsmeade for lunch. Hermione immediately went up to the Head Boy and Head Girl's quarters while Harry and Ron talked about quidditch strategies with Ginny in the Great Hall.

Hermione entered the living space of her shared quarters and looked around. There was no sign of Malfoy yet. The two Heads avoided each other throughout most of the day; in fact the lounging area was barely ever used. However, this time the large cosy sofas looked more than inviting to Hermione, especially as a bright fire had been lit in the fireplace warming the room and spreading a golden glow over everything.

Hermione sat back into one of the sofas and opened her book to the sixth chapter. She soon lost herself within the book and before she knew it, over an hour had passed by. At about three in the afternoon Draco Malfoy entered the room, bringing in a cold draft from the corridors of the castle. Hermione felt the cold air against her ankles and curled them under her body up on the sofa. She was now well over half way through the book.

Draco noticed the girl curled up on the sofa. He, as well, had never really paid attention to the invitingness of the fireplace or the sofas. Hermione was still absorbed in her book and hadn't made any sign of seeing Draco standing in the doorway.

Draco walked over to the fireplace and took off his wet cloak. He laid it on the table in front of the fire so that it would dry quickly. Hermione looked up when she saw movement across the table, and for a moment she paused, unsure what to say. Draco himself froze in the moment, he looked her in the eyes, and then down at the book in her hands. He decided upon another civil nature.

"What's that you're reading?"

Hermione looked down at her book, remembering she still held it in her hands. The question struck her; Malfoy had really been acting a lot more tolerant towards her that day, even after she crushed him in a carriage door.

She troubled over her words, but finally managed to speak the answer out,

"It's a muggle book I found today, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'-"

"A muggle book?" Draco seemed confused at where she would find such a thing in a wizard community.

"Yes, I saw it in a bookstore on the corner of the street where the carriages drop the students off…" Hermione suddenly stopped herself once she realised she had mentioned the carriages; perhaps he would remember the incident with the door and return to his more ignorant approach.

"I guess I'll just have to take a look for myself" Draco thought again to himself. She seemed uncomfortable to speak to him.

'But what else can I expect from a mudblood? They know their superiors…' he thought to himself. Suddenly the word 'mudblood' seemed all too repulsive to him. It was a word which tasted like venom on the tip of his tongue, well, he at least felt a little ashamed of speaking it, as if it were a swear word of the rudest kind. Before he could continue with any of his thoughts he turned to leave up to his room.

Hermione watched after him. She didn't like to think that the boy who had troubled both her and her friends was suddenly warming up to her, but he was changing her mind for her. It seemed that if she remained civil towards him, then he too showed the same back. Perhaps he was at the age of maturing, or perhaps something else had influenced him. To Hermione, his behaviour was a mystery, and in some part of her mind it troubled her. She hadn't thought things would change like this in Hogwarts, and change frightened her. But for now she continued reading into her book.

Meanwhile Malfoy reached his room at the top of the landing. He threw his clothes off and walked into the shower, closing his head under the hot water to everything outside. After stepping out of the shower, he walked back into his room and dressed. Outside the rain still poured down onto Hogwarts, but it had thinned out since that morning.

Sighing, he moved to his bed and lay down. On his bedside he had several books and a magic photograph of him and his parents when he was younger. His young-self smiled back at him, and even attempted to wave until his father's hand came down sharply on his shoulder. His father, in contrast, held a stern gaze, and his mother stood rigid, a pout across her lips. The photo constantly reminded him of the Malfoy ways. Before they seemed routine, but now that he had gone against the Malfoy-norm, it felt more of a chore to continue in the same strict air that his father always held.

Draco grabbed hold of the frame and opened the draw to the bedside table, placing the photo inside, and closing it. He turned his eyes to the books that sat next to him on top of the table. One of the books happened to be 'Hogwarts: a History'. He flipped the pages open and began to read into the history of his school's past until his stomach called his for dinner.

The next day Hermione awoke to light pouring into her room through the balcony doors. Overnight Saturday's bad spell of weather had cleared to another late summer morning. After washing and dressing, Hermione walked down to the Great Hall to grab some toast before she walked out into the grounds with another book in hand. She had finished her muggle book the night before and decided to re-read a book she had bought on charms a few years back.

She made her way over to the lake where a few students played around in the shallow parts of the water. Their screeches echoed in the distance as they splashed water at each other.

Hermione sat down on the sandy bank of the lake and crossed her legs. She placed the book in her lap and began to read. She soon lost interest in the book though. Sitting back she watched the second year students dunking each other jokingly in the lake. She had only been sitting for ten minutes when she stood up and walked back to the Head's rooms. She didn't feel like reading alone, in fact she was hoping she would run into Malfoy.

She eagerly said the password to the portrait at the entrance to the common room and climbed inside, searching the room. However, he was nowhere to be found. Her eyes then fell on the cloak on the table. She walked over to it and picked it up. It had dried crisp and crinkled which seemed a shame to Hermione seeing as it was made of a light and soft fabric.

She pulled out her wand and muttered a few words under her breath and soon the cloak was soft again, and also un-creased. She folded it carefully and walked up the stairs to Malfoy's room. She stopped at the door hesitantly, but then pulled up enough courage to tap on his door.

She heard his move around his room for a few seconds until he opened the door. He has just dressed from a shower, his hair still wet. He looked down at her curiously.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but instead she just handed him his cloak. Malfoy took it and examined it for a second noticing she had cleaned it up. He saw her about to turn to leave so he quickly spoke up,

"Erm, thanks" He was still a little surprised by her visit to his door.

Hermione gave a small smile and nodded before she went down to search for Harry and Ron for company.

Malfoy closed his door behind her and hung his cloak in the closet. He noticed a smile was tugging at his lips; she had done another nice thing for him. That was twice in two days and it hadn't cost him anything. He looked outside through the balcony doors and gave a light sigh of content. He reached for Hermione's book that she had given him the day before and began reading again, his mind drifting over to thoughts about the girl who had just retrieved his cloak for him. He settled the book down on the bedside table and walked over to the dresser across the room.

Draco looked over all the photos he had collected over the years, all of them family poses. His father insisted upon him taking them as to not forget his duty for his family, to make them honourable and proud. But somehow they seemed to have lost a significant amount of meaning; they were just photographs after all.

Draco picked up all the frames and piled them on top of each other before placing them with the one from the bedside table in the draw. He now had a lot of free space on top of the dresser, but nothing to put there. With nothing else to do, he walked out of his room and out of the Head's quarters, walking towards the Slytherin Common Room.

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_The longest chapter yet! Suddenly Draco's feeling a little bit different towards Hermione, hopefully the balance is right, tell me what you think… Anywayz, I don't think I can write another chapter tonight, I have to get up early tomorrow, but when I get home I'll keep on writing. Until tomorrow… Goodnight:D_


	6. Comforting Silence

_Bwahahahahaha! No ones reviewing and I am still writing! You're not going to get rid of me that easily, not today at least. Here's another chapter for anyone still hanging on if that's possible._

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**_Stay With Me_**

_Chapter 6_

_(Flashback still and also it is still the weekend, Sunday night in fact)_

It was Sunday evening, at most of the student at Hogwarts were in the Great Hall dining. Hermione sat next to Ron and across from Harry; the two boys were talking about something to do with Professor Snape and stink bombs, again. Hermione on the other hand was watching the magical roof of the Hall. Clouds were clearing and revealing a velvety black night glimmering with stars that twinkled like diamonds against their richly dark background.

Draco Malfoy sat across the room chatting away with Crabbe and Goyle. He had been in a happier mood than usual all that day, to which Crabbe and Goyle seemed slightly confused, but it didn't cross their mind twice.

Having ended his conversation with the two people across the table from him, he turned his gaze over to the Gryffindor table, searching the two rows of benches for a certain girl. He caught her looking up at the roof, a fork in her hand dwindled on her plate, but not really moving. He wondered what she was thinking, whether she had been thinking about him lately. He hoped she noticed his kinder behaviour towards her, making it more apparent would not be easy as his reputation was at stake.

It wasn't that he still believed entirely in his father's ways, but lately Malfoy grew tired of them. He was never given the opportunity to think for himself or be independent. And he didn't entirely not believe in them either. He still thought a family with an important background such as his should hold some sort of prestigious air to them.

Draco finished his plate of food and headed back to his shared rooms. Hermione, across the room heard Harry and Ron Acknowledge his leaving,

"There goes Malfoy…"

"Let's stick a stink bomb in his soup too."

The boys laughed, Hermione frowned. She stood up, excused herself, and headed towards the Head quarters.

Draco reached his room and fell onto his bed. He doubted Hermione would be around for an hour at least, not until dinner had finished. He noticed his eagle owl perched on the back on the chair at the cleared dresser, a message clamped in its beak. Nodding to the bird, it flew over and nestled next to his neck as he tore open the envelope and began to read.

It was a message from his father to keep him updated on the current events concerning the Malfoys. Usually his father filled these letters with complaints about the Ministry of Magic, or Dumbledore, or something of the sort. Today, However, his father had something new to mention.

_"Our brave and righteous Dark Lord has been telling me of his growing power. Soon he feels he will be strong enough to make another attack upon Potter, but this time he will make sure he wins._

_There exists an old charm that has been lost for many centuries, more like a curse to bring upon your enemies. It is called 'The Curse of Mithreis'. It was an ancient spell that only the greatest warriors used to conjure up the most powerful weapon imaginable. A sword crafted by the ancient Gods of the Middle East, it can tear down an entire fleet of an army with one blow. This sword holds a certain mysterious magnitude of power, capable of beating even Potter's luck._

_Our great Lord gave me the task of seeking this curse, but I saw open opportunity to drop a word in for you. You now have me to thank, for the Dark Lord has realised your intelligence and determination to please him. Now you have the challenge of rediscovering the spell he needs to obtain the Sword of Mithras._

_I trust you will not disappoint our Master, and I hope even more that you shall not fail me or scar the Malfoy name…"_

The rest of the letter went on about how if Draco failed he would be in more trouble imaginable.

Draco's mood suddenly took a turn for the worse. In frustration he tore the letter up and threw it at the wall across the room, however the little pieces of paper barely left his hand before they came flittering down on to his lap. Seeing this Draco groaned and threw his head back onto the pillow. He felt like he had no energy left, like he couldn't pick him self off the bed. Or maybe he felt like he had no hope left.

Eventually his pulled himself off his bed, a little shaky, and walked out of the room, all the way out of the castle.

Hermione returned to the Head common room to find Draco had most likely gone up to his room as usual. She felt a tinge of sadness, perhaps nothing much had changed between them. She looked around the room for any sign of his presence somewhere in their shared quarters, and her eyes caught sight of a book resting on an armchair near the bookcases.

She skipped over to it and picked it up to look at the cover. It was book on beasts, deadly dangerous ones. Hermione put the book down and looked through the other books piled on the shelves. Before she had always rushed passed them to go straight to her room, or straight out without having to bump into Draco.

Looking through the titles, she picked out one on the history of Hogsmeade, and then turned to find somewhere peaceful to read under the stars.

She walked all the way to the edge of the lake, this time no students were nearby. She settled herself down in the thick roots of a tree that emerged from under the ground. Lighting her wand, she began to read.

Draco marched out of the castle and looked around. Everything was dark except for over by the lake where fireflies buzzed around the water. He headed towards the hundreds of lights striding fast, his feet stomping on the grass in anger.

He reached the lake and noticed someone else curled up by the old tree. Draco walked over and peered through the tree's drooping branches. To his surprise it was Hermione, reading quietly and thoroughly absorbed in her book.

For a moment his anger was lifted, his heart pounded heavily in his chest. Unsure of what to do, he stood there and watched her feeling invisible to her. His thoughts wondered from her to his father and the expectations he had no choice to reach. Once again he was oppressed by his father's wishes. His eyes drifted to the water and its murky depths. On this night though, the surface shimmered with the light from the stars as if it were made of glass.

Hermione looked up from her book to rest from reading. Her eyes were starting to strain in the poor light. Draco all of a sudden took her aback, standing there almost next to her, his eyes fixed on the lake. A feeling of joy filled her body to see him, but she noticed a longing feeling on his face, a frown held his lips down and stole his eyes of any emotion.

Draco turned his head towards Hermione, expecting to find her still reading, but instead she was looking curiously at his face. She jumped back when his eyes fell into hers.

"I'm sorry- I, I didn't see you there-" she began stumbling over her words. Draco chuckled silently to himself, the frown momentarily reversing into a tired smile. He troubled his mind for something to say to her. An insult was always the easy option, but Draco felt strongly about presenting himself differently. Thinking of his father disheartened him; he was hopeless under the pressure to upkeep the family name, defeated by his father's striving.

Hermione fell silent and watched his face. His gaze was lost again, troubled by his own inner thoughts. And in the light that glowed around them, she saw the smallest tear gather at his eye and cascade down his face. Hermione opened her mouth, but stopped herself from gasping. She was now lost for words completely.

Draco realised he had let a tear slip and he slowly wiped it away with his sleeve. It was no use trying to hide it; no doubt Hermione had already seen it. He heard a mumble escape her lips,

"Oh…"

She held pity in her voice, pity for him. If this was not destroying the morals of the Malfoys then Draco didn't know what was. He had let a muggleborn see him showing emotion, he had even been polite to a muggleborn. He turned to look into her eyes before speaking any words.

"What are you doing out here? It's getting colder these nights." His voice trembled a little but didn't break. He spoke softly and with a frail hint of concern in his words.

Hermione found her voice again, her head still pounding with her chest,

"I came out to read, I guess I just lost count of the time…" Draco straightened his back and crossed his arms. He held his eyes on her. "Why are you here?" She asked kindly and gently.

Draco was unsure of what to reply; whether to say he was just walking, or he was troubled with his personal life… Was it right to let a muggleborn know of those Malfoy matters? Especially a muggleborn associated with Potter. If he let her know he was going to have to attempt to find the one thing that could destroy him then she would turn away from him.

"I couldn't sleep."

As much as he wanted to trust in her, he knew he couldn't without consequences he didn't want to know. Hermione saw something else in his eyes, something he wasn't letting out.

"Is something troubling you?" she asked, carefully selecting her words. Draco gave a huff, and looked down at his feet and thought for a moment before he looked back up at her.

"Would you aid a wounded dragon, even if it were about to harm someone such as Potter or Weasley?"

Hermione thought for a moment. It was a strange question to ask, and obviously he was somehow referring to himself. She chose her answer cautiously.

"I would help any wounded animal or beast for its injury, but not to allow them to harm anyone."

Draco thought on what she had said.

"Would you help a dragon to riddance of what had wounded it?" Hermione thought carefully again before she said,

"Would a dragon trust in me in the first place to let me get near?"

Draco froze for a second in awe at her. She really was as intelligent as she was praised for. She had hit him where he was avoiding; there was no point in going back on his words now.

"Are you staying out here for long?" He asked.

"I'm won't be leaving anytime soon."

Draco uncrossed his arms and walked over to her, settling himself down next to her. Hermione closed her book and fumbled with it between her hands. The two sat in silence, listening to the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Draco brought his hand from his hand and picked up the book she held tightly in her hands. He peered at the title in the little light from Hermione's lit want.

"'The History of Hogsmeade'" He opened the book and looked through the pages stopping at the bookstore Hermione had mentioned earlier, and read the page quickly. He continued searching through the book until he came to the Three Broomsticks. Hermione watched as he went through her book.

"When's the next Hogsmeade weekend?" Draco unexpectedly.

"In three weeks time." Draco thought about asking her to accompany him, but he faltered thinking she wouldn't accept. Besides, he had to research for his fathers dirty business. They both sat in silence for another hour. To Hermione he was a mystery, but to Draco she was his saviour. The silence gave him more comfort than she would have known. He continued through the book pausing every now and them to read something interesting.

Eventually he noticed Hermione had drifted quietly off to sleep. He leaned back into the tree and closed his eyes too, his mind filled swimming with both happy and sad thoughts, and finally, he fell asleep next to her.

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_Well I don't particularly like this chapter but something's got to fill the space. I don't want Draco and Hermione to suddenly be bestest friends à la Paris Hilton et Nicky what's-her-name. But I don't want to write 20 chapters before something interesting happens. Anywayz, I'll try and get some more closer moments in. Until later, byebye._


	7. Pushing and Falling

_Wooooooooooot! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! The feedback is great:D_

_To **catgurlfurree**l: You are the MASTER REVIEWER! Wow, thanks for every comment, I'm glad your enjoying the story and everything. I'm lurvin the fluff too:D_

_**TVrocks**: Thanks for your comment too, I appreciate your advice and I'll try and write longer chapters. If I can't then I'll just do two chapters in one day. I don't know why I don't merge them but once you finish a chapter you can relax for a bit. Anywayz, I hope you keep reading._

_**Ronandhermione8492**: Weee, I'm happy you like it so far, and I plan to continue. I'll make sure to read both your fics sometime soon and I'll leave a review to prove that I have;) See ya around, and thanks for the comment_

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**_Stay With Me_**

_Chapter 7_

_(Flashback still, there's going to be a lot of flashback for a while you know… But we are under the tree asleep, right where we left off)_

Hermione awoke when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the hanging branches of the tree. She shifted her head and stretched her neck, which ached. She pushed both hands down beside her and tried to lift her body but her backside was numb from the rough roots she was sitting on.

Next to her Draco began to groan as a result of the stiffness in his body too. He flung his arms out, stretching them, and dropping the book that was balanced in his hands. It tumbled to the floor. Upon seeing this, he reached out for it but it was too far to get to without moving. His hand fell to his side in vain, and he rolled his head back, banging it against the tree trunk. He closed his eyes, accepting the pain, and eventually decided to get up from the tangles of the trees spiralling roots.

Draco placed each arm out on each side to steady himself before he stood. Unexpectedly, his hand fell on someone else's hand; Hermione's. Draco looked over at her; her eyes were squinting in the sunlight. She still looked half asleep. Carefully he pulled his hand away, and pushed himself forwards to balance on bent knees. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before turning his attention towards Hermione again.

Hermione began to twist herself so that her face fell in the shade of the tree, shielded from the sun's glaring light. Draco watched her face relax in the safety of the shade. Her eyes softly closed, her lips slightly parted and she breathed through her mouth. Her bushy curls surrounded her face, matted down as it rustled against the tree bark.

Draco swallowed down a growing lump in his throat and looked down to his hands.

Hermione took a deep breath, smelling the earth around her. She fluttered her eyes open to see Draco gazing over the lake towards the forest. Behind him she saw her book carelessly thrown on the ground. She tutted inwardly before she leant over and picked it up to un-bend the pages. Draco had not noticed her awake yet, he was still concentrating his gaze on the deep thickets of the Forbidden Forest.

Hermione watched him for a moment as she kept on fixing her book to a decent state. Once the book was as good as it was going to get she lifted her foot from underneath her body and stretched it out until she touched Draco with it. She then gave him a light shove, sending him tumbling forward onto the sand.

Draco broke his fall just in time with his hands outstretched in front of him. He spun around and looked at Hermione in disbelief. A cheeky grin broke out on her face before she steadied herself against the tree and pulled herself up. Draco brushed the damp sand off his clothes, and then he too stood up. He noticed her book on the ground still, except she had moved it from where he dropped it. He leant down in front of her and picked it up, handed it to her and straightened himself.

Hermione watched Draco get down in front of her to pick her book up. He eyed her suspiciously as he did so, making sure her foot wasn't about to topple him over again. Once he had step back, he found a smile twitching at his lips.

Hermione blushed a little and looked down at her feet. Draco watched as her hair fell around her face. He stepped forward, closing in on her. Hermione notice his shadow fall on her and tucked her head under even further, scared at what he might do. Draco took her fear into account. He was unsure himself of what he was about to do, but dismissed the subject. It was better not to get involved with a muggleborn otherwise his father would be on his back again. Draco simply said,

"We should get back to the castle and get ready for the school day…" Hermione raised her head as Draco stepped back from her. Hermione nodded, looked around for anything she might have left behind, and began walking back towards the castle. Draco walked beside her, keeping his hands to himself in his pockets. He huffed out a sigh of cold morning air. Hermione fiddled with her fingers, her nerves getting the better of her. If she were caught outside with Malfoy then she would have her friends to face.

They walked in silence until they reached their common room. They climbed up the stair to the landing that divided off to his and her rooms. Draco paused before he continued through his door. He turned to Hermione who had stopped also. Draco brought his hand to the back of his neck and ruffled his hair thinking of what to say before he took off for the day.

"I- uh, hope you have a nice day…" The words seemed silly coming out of his mouth. Never had he ever wished anyone a good day. Hermione nodded, taking in his words. "I guess I'll see you around…" He turned towards his door thinking he wasn't going to get a word out of her mouth but she suddenly spoke up.

"Do you think you could… help me with my potions homework?" Hermione rushed the first part of her sentence but slowed down when she thought she had sounded too straightforward. She didn't really need any help from Draco, but already she felt lonely when he was only about to leave. Something about him made her want to spend time with him.

Draco raised his eyebrows slightly. 'Granger asking for my help?' It seemed unlikely she would need any assistance in any of her subjects, but he wasn't about to say no.

"Ummm… sure. I'm free tonight if you want to go over something…err…" Hermione nodded quickly before saying,

"If that's not too much trouble…"

Draco took his hand from the door handle and moved his body so it was facing her.

"No, not at all." The two remained in silence for a moment. Hermione thought enough had been said, so she nodded curtly before disappearing through her door. Draco stayed on the landing for a moment, and then decided to go up to his room to shower and dress before heading down to breakfast in the Great Hall.

Within half an hour Hermione had joined the Gryffindors for the first meal of the day, and Draco the Slytherins. She ate quietly, absorbed into her own thoughts until all of a sudden, there was a loud bang that came from the professors table, followed by another which echoed from the Slytherin table.

Hermione looked up startled, Harry and Ron sniggered loudly along with all the other students in the hall. A rotten stench filled her nostrils, and she watched as smoke rose from the potions master's plate in front of him. A few yells were heard above the clamour,

"It's a stink bomb!"

Remembering her friends' conversation from a couple of days ago, Hermione spun her head around quickly to look at the Slytherin table, picking out Draco from the crowd. His bowl set in front of him was steaming too, and residue had splattered across his face from the small explosion. Hermione could hear well above the roaring in the Hall Harry and Ron's bellowing. Draco stood and walked out of the Hall to go clean up. He showed no emotion on his face, but Hermione swore she saw his eyes flash dangerously towards the Gryffindors. Shamefully she turned back to her place at the table with a sudden loss in appetite.

After a few moments the noise died down and the Hall was filled with students gossiping over who was responsible for the prank. Snape was fuming in his seat while Professor Flitwick attempted to wipe his face clean with a napkin, but the potions master waved him away, spluttering and gagging on his words.

Hermione had had enough. She quickly stood and prepared her bag for the up coming lessons. Harry and Ron looked on curiously at her half eaten plate of food. They noticed she was slamming things around more than usual. Hesitantly, Harry spoke,

"So… we'll see you at the end of the day?"

Hermione scowled back at them and spat out,

"I'm busy."

Harry and Ron were taken aback by her retort.

"Doing what?" Ron asked quite rudely.

"The Head Boy is helping me out with a few problems I'm having in potions."

Harry immediately thought what problems Hermione would even have in any subject, the idea seems preposterous. Ron, however, thought the idea of spending time with a Slytherin was preposterous.

"Why would you want help from a Malfoy?" Hermione ignored the question and continued to rearrange books in her bag. Ron held back a chuckle before continuing. "Seriously Hermione, what are you doing with him?" Hermione swung her bag over her shoulder and left the two boys sitting there confused. "But… he smells!" More laughter burst out from the surrounding students. Hermione ignored the comment and headed towards the transfiguration classroom on the third floor.

Upon entering she closed the door behind her with a loud crack. Draco, who was sitting on a desk, snapped his head up in surprise. Hermione threw her bag on a desk at the front and begun unpacking her things for the class. Draco lowered his head to his hands and massaged his temples. In his lap he had the most recent letter from his father. He quickly tucked it away and slipped off the top of the desk, walked around the small table and sat in the chair. He leant back and watched the back of Hermione's head jerk around in what looked like anger or frustration.

Hermione had simply not seen Draco in the room. Thinking that she was alone, she indulged in throwing her books and equipment about messily releasing her fury. Finally she calmed down after spilling her ink accidentally over the desk. The thick black liquid dripped over the side of the desk onto the floor. Draco watched her, his eyes wide open in fear; he had never seen her so stressful.

Hermione groaned when she saw that she had shattered the inkbottle. She heavily pivoted around to face the desk next to hers and let herself fall forward onto her outstretched hands, sighing. She breathed deeply for a few moments before she stood up straight and covered her face with her hands. Draco was unsure whether she was crying or just terrible bitter towards something. Surely she wasn't fuming about the prank played on him by her own friends? He would have thought she would be laughing along like everyone else.

Hermione began rubbing her eyes. Draco rose out of his chair and walked over to her desk, bringing out his wand. Under his breath he muttered a few well-chosen words, which sucked the ink back into the shattered bottle that magically put itself back together like a jigsaw puzzle. Hermione had still not acknowledged his presence in the room. She dropped her hands from her face and swivelled around to sit in her seat. However, Draco caught sight of her foot caught up in the handle of her bag. Hermione stumbled backwards but Draco caught her elbow from behind, giving her a bit of a shock. His other hand was quickly placed on the small of her back to keep her from falling any further than into his chest.

Hermione's neck slid into his shoulder, and his head peered down into her eyes, his mouth gaping slightly at the closeness to each other. Hermione's eyes widened and she breathed in a sharp intake of air. For a moment, neither of them moved. They were stuck into each other's eyes, too frightened to go any further, or let go.

Without warning, the door to the classroom opened and Professor McGonagall swiftly entered. She stopped herself from coming in any further once she had caught sight of her two students tangled in each other. Both Draco and Hermione looked on at the aged Professor. Draco's eyes moved around to Hermione's bag, still caught up with her foot. He knelt down, releasing her elbow but keeping hold of her back, and lifted her foot to slip the handle out. He lifted the back and himself off the floor and handed the worn rucksack to Hermione. She took it in her own hands stiffly; her heart was pounding faster than ever.

The professor, astonished by the gesture, blinked and raised her eyebrows to herself before proceeding to her desk and taking out the days work. As she did so, Draco took one last look at Hermione before taking his hand away from behind her and slipping away to his desk. And he moved out from behind her, Hermione managed to mouth a short 'thank-you' to him. He nodded and turned away. Soon enough, students were filling the classroom, a clear division between the Gryffindor and Slytherin students.

Harry and Ron avoided sitting near Hermione, Instead they placed themselves in the same row of desks as Draco, but across the isle that ran down the middle of the classroom. The two boys eyes his suspiciously, Draco on the other hand completely ignored their stares. His eyes were transfixed on the girl a few rows in front, her head leaning over the parchment on her desk, her hand gliding across the thin paper recording everything that came out of the professors mouth. Every now and then she raised her head to admire her favourite teacher before going back to her notes.

Draco's own piece of parchment kept clean throughout the entire class, he wasn't in the right frame of mind to take in anything that McGonagall was saying. When the bell rang, he quickly cleared away his things and moved out of the chair towards the exit. Just before he could leave his desk, Harry and Ron pushed by, purposely knocking into him with their bags. Draco rolled his eyes as they left, adjusting the strap of his own rucksack, before he strode out of the room, briefly making eye contact with Hermione as he left. Hermione, in return, paused as he moved past, her quill lingering in the air.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't have another class with each other until just before lunch where they joined in the grounds of the castle for their care of magical creatures lesson. The large group of students marched down towards the edge of the forest, chatting anxiously among themselves. Draco walked with Crabbe on one side and Goyle on his other. Pansy Parkison followed behind trying to hold a conversation with Draco, but his mind was elsewhere. Pansy eventually walked off in a huff much to Draco's happiness.

As the class commenced they were told to separate into partners. Crabbe and Goyle, who had always paired together, turned and walked right into each other on their way to search for the other. A couple of students sniggered at the stupidity of the two, Draco simply turned away to watch who was pairing up with who. Before he could hide behind anyone, he was approached by Pansy, who assumed they were partners as there were no other Slytherins left. Draco gave in unwillingly and began to listen to what Hagrid had to say. Firenze, the centaur who had become the professor's assistant, shouted out instructions to the pairs. They had been split into their groups of two for a mid-term project. The idea of the project was to look after a certain creature of no danger for a week according to its individual needs. Each pair had a different creature so each group could produce a different presentation by the end of the fortnight.

Draco looked on unhappily with a look of disgust on his face as Pansy pampered over their creature; something which looked like a bulldog that had been sat on. Draco curled his lip and grimaced at the sight of his partner and "pet"; the two looked very much alike to his surprise.

Meanwhile, Hermione was examining her new project with Neville Longbottom. Their creature was a golden coloured bat-like animal. Its spindly and bony wings reminded Hermione of a dragon's. Immediately her mind flew to Draco. She looked over the students until she spotted him keeping a distance from the remainder of his group. Her heart gave a leap as his own eyes came down on hers. She quickly turned away and busied herself with the bat-dragon creature. At the end of the class, the creatures were placed carefully in large enough crates and stored away in an un-used greenhouse. Later, the pairs would have to make observations and record them as the start of the project, as well as feed their animal.

Hermione stayed with Neville until the end of lunch when he went off with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas to look at some new special edition wizard comic book his grandmother had sent him. For the rest of the lunch break she sat by a fountain in the courtyard, reading more on Hogsmeade's history. She tried her best to concentrate on the book but she found she couldn't stop thinking about waking up next to Draco. She let herself indulge in the day's memories throughout the rest of the day. Not soon enough, the school day ended, and Hermione found herself waiting in the common room for Draco to help her with her potions.

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_Well I'm going to leave it there. But there was a fluffy moment! Gah I wish I could have Draco Malfoy's arms around me… Anywayz, I'll update soon. Goodnight to y'all. Thanks again to the reviewees._


	8. Shifting Feelings

_Holy macaroni, suddenly reviews are coming in! m/ m/ double digits too! I got 10 reviews so far and some more thank-yous to send out:_

_**Falcon Princess**: thanks for reviewing, and I'm overjoyed you like it:D_

_**Monday Mornings**: thanks to you too, I'll try and notch down the timid-ness between Draco, Hermione and their respective friend or whoever._

_**Catgurlfurreal**: Don't worry, reviews can never annoy me:D I'm just glad you still like the story. Thanks for your constant flow of support and praise. You're still my number one reviewer!_

_Now another chapter:_

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**_ Stay With Me_**

_Chapter 8_

_(We are stiiiiill in flashback and starting were we left off; Hermione waiting for Draco in the Head's common room)_

Hermione sat eagerly on one of the sofas, her hands wringing nervously on her lap. She was ashamed to think that she had spent most of the day thinking about Draco, and even more ashamed to think that she enjoyed wasting her time doing so instead of concentrating on her classes. She fidgeted around where she sat, tugging her skirt around, folding her collar down, adjusting her cloak… She has only been waiting for about fifteen minutes when the portrait door swung open, and Draco Malfoy climbed through.

Hermione sat up straight on the sofas and watched as he made his way towards her, to her sadness yet relief avoiding her eyes. He plonked his bag down on the tabletop and removed the weighty potions textbook. He took out his writing equipment and thought for a second. He had suddenly realised he didn't know what Hermione wanted assistance with. He twisted his neck to look down at her, he kept a cool expression on is his.

"What exactly did you need help with?"

Hermione looked up at his face and pondered for a second. Her eyes drifted around the room as she considered what guidance she could need.

"Well… Neville spilt bat's blood over all my notes from the 20th of September back… I can't remember every detail about brewing the potions, and I had written down the steps with more than enough detail. To be honest, the practical work doesn't come easy for me."

It was half true what she had said; yes Neville had spilt blood all over most of the term's notes, but they were still readable. And brewing potions wasn't such a great deal for Hermione, it was just the pressure of getting it right that Snape enforced on the class, and with Neville as a partner, she had to make sure no accidents happened.

"I'll go get my notes so we can read over them and add anything extra you need. I'll only be a moment."

With that said, Draco sprung up the stairs to his room, and almost instantly came bounding back down again. He flew off the last step with a hop and casually walked back to the table while leafing through his own notes. Hermione waited patiently for him to settle down before she bravely scooted closer to look over his shoulder at his notes. Draco leant back to give her a clearer view as he sorted through them to find the ones she was missing. Eventually two piles had been made, and the larger one was pushed aside.

"Well luckily there's not much to copy up."

"That's good…" Hermione replied half-heartedly. Inside she wished there were more, any excuse to spend time with him.

"Let's see… the first classes of the year we just discussed the syllabus for the rest of the term… hmmm…" He read through the first few pages before deciding to move on. "There's really nothing very interesting there. He put those pieces of parchment aside and looked down at the first real work they did that year. He pulled out a fresh piece of parchment with a quill and a bottle of ink and handed them to her so that she could copy up. However, Hermione took the parchment and left him holding out the ink and quill while he kept his eyes looking over his notes. Within a second, Hermione had pulled out her wand and tapped the clean parchment, muttering a few words, and a copy of his notes scrawled itself over the page, making an exact copy.

Please with her work she placed it neatly in front of her. Draco looked up at her wondering why she still hadn't taken the ink and quill. His eyes met hers, which twinkled with playfulness. He looked down at the parchment to see everything already written down.

"Oh…" He was left stupefied for a moment before he went on, "Of course, how could I forget? A copying charm…" Hermione giggled at his forgetfulness, it wasn't often Draco would let something like that not cross his mind.

After a good half hour Hermione and about an inch of parchment in front of her, but there was still the extra notes she needed to add to aid her when revising the method of brewing. Draco leant back into the sofa, letting out a tired breath of air. His arms were by his sides, lazily hanging with his hands flopping over the edge of the sofa. He rolled his eyes on the back on the sofa to look at Hermione who was still sitting up straight. He watched her straighten the pages up and rest them neatly in a folder she had with 'Potions' neatly written on the bind.

"Do you want to take a break?" Draco groaned out, hoping she would say yes. Potions wasn't the easiest subject, and one hour on the subject a day was enough to drive him crazy.

Hermione looked at the pile of notes in her folder. They had done a lot of work already, and she was wasting his time…

"Sure. Thanks for your help by the way… I never thought a Malfoy could be so generous as to use up their time helping a muggleborns who can't take care of her notes properly…" Hermione regretting saying this as soon as it had come out of her mouth. 'Oh god, I sound like I'm fishing for a compliment of some sort…'

In reality, she was hoping he would tell her that he wasn't wasting his time, and that he was more than happy to help her out. But Hermione kept in mind this was Malfoy, and he was only fulfilling his duties as Head Boy to take an interest in the well being of other students.

"Don't worry about it…" Draco broke off before he let any sign of anything greater than a little compassion for her slip out. "Maybe we can finish this tomorrow outside if the weather's good." He paused for a second before adding, "If you have nothing else planned that is…"

Hermione stopped herself from shouting 'yes I'd love to!' Instead she kept calm and gave the appearance of pondering on the matter for a minute.

"Tomorrow? Well I do have a huge essay on charms from the 18th century for Flitwick to hand in by the end of the week…"

Draco swallowed. "Ok, well then we'll have to wait until next, next week; I've got quidditch practice all this weekend for the big game on Thursday…"

Hermione snapped out of her smooth state of mind, frightened of losing her opportunity.

"Tomorrow's fine!" She spoke out quickly.

"Good." Draco smiled widely at the agreement. As always, he got his was with others; something he was used to.

He stood and gathered his things. Hermione watched on with a slight pout on her face.

"See you tomorrow then" he called back cheekily cheerful as help marched up the stairs to his room. Hermione rolled her eyes thinking 'pedantic ferret' spitefully. She cleared away her things and made her way to her room to put them back in their place on her shelf but she was interrupted when a loud knock was heard on the door.

Hermione sighed and paused while watching the door, hoping whomever it was would go away. Instead they knocked again. Hermione moaned to herself and she put everything back down safely on the table. The person on the other side knocked again. A second later, they knocked again; the rest between bangs becoming less and less. Soon they were drumming against the door, causing an ache to grow in Hermione's head.

She stomped over to the door and flung it open, leaving a shocked Harry and Ron standing with their mouths open and fists balled in the air braced to keep knocking until the portrait should fall down. Hermione rolled her eyes to the top of her head and shook her head, almost praying for less annoying friends.

"Ummm… we came to walk you to the Great Hall for Dinner…" Ron began watching Hermione carefully. She looked ready to snap at them.

Suddenly from behind Hermione, Draco emerged; pushing himself through the hole that Hermione was filling the better part of.

"Ahhh, Malfoy." Harry greeted the Head Boy with a dirty grin on his face. Draco raised one eyebrow at Harry; daring him to continue with whatever nasty comment he was going to spill out. " Don't take the prank too seriously… It was just the shock that was bad, I mean we're all used to the stench you leave behind in the halls whenever you walk past. I don't think the stink bombs added much to that."

Draco gave a short 'tut' before standing to his full height.

"I'd watch your back Potter, you never know when something might strike you down for good." Of course Harry had no idea of the plot Voldemort was forming behind closed doors along with Draco's father.

"Hmm, yeah…" Harry wavered his comment off, giving Ron an amused look. Ron sniggered; shaking his head exaggeratedly at what he thought was Malfoy with high hopes. Draco slithered past the boys, eyeing them with a sense of superiority. Before he turned away he glimpsed at Hermione, with equal dislike in his stare. Hermione cowered under his gaze hoping Ron would cut off his sniggering sometime soon.

Only once Draco had tuned the corner did the boys turn their attention back to their friend. They notice uneasiness about her, but didn't say anything.

"You ready, Hermione?" She stood thinking for a moment. She felt light and heavy at the same time, her body felt like jelly. She didn't know if she wanted to go off with Harry and Ron to dinner just to spite Malfoy and his stern eyes, or to decline the offer and remain cold towards Harry and Ron.

Harry and Ron grew impatient of waiting for her to reply. Harry stood with his hands in his pocket inspecting the frame of the portrait and rocking on the heels of his shoes. Ron tapped his foot, his eyes wondering sarcastically. He uncrossed his arms to look at his watch, making sure they weren't going to miss any of the food prepared by the elves for the hunger-filled students. The meal had already started ten minutes ago.

"Well are you coming or not?" Ron burst out his eyes wide-open expecting Hermione to answer. Hermione looked down at Ron from the ledge of the entrance with a beat-up look.

"I'm not feeling to well, go on without me." She slipped back into her common room closing the door behind her. Harry and Ron shrugged it off and rushed off to the Great Hall.

Hermione still didn't know what she felt like doing. She reluctantly gathered her things from off the table and dragged her feet up the stair to her room where she dropped the bundle of things in her arms on her bed. Slowly she dropped herself next to her new potions notes and lay down on her bed thinking. Was Malfoy's glare at her breaking off tomorrow's arrangements? She sighed and pulled out the book on Hogsmeade's history that lay on her bedside table. She flipped through to where she had left off before she lost herself in its pages.

* * *

_Ok, shorter chapter here but I will write more tonight. I have plans for Draco and Hermione wriggles eyebrows Gah, I hate the word wriggle, it sounds like a worm… anywho, review if you like it, review if you have any suggestions, review if you hate it, review if you don't even want to review just to do something spontaneous… We shall make contact soon raises arm and flies off to infinity and beyond._


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